River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-01-06
TURNING A CORNER.


more. He was a plain, honest and
hard-working man, apt to boast that
he had started with only 800 in cash,
and now had multiplied the original
capital by thousands. He spent little
time in Boosting, however. being too
busy in his effort to make the whole
world wash itself clean with Dukes
Kimolia, as he called his soap. and to
force every laundrcSs to use his Kona.
Il powder whose detergent qualities
were well known Peter did not
know the meaning of these words, but
they sounded well He had paid
literary Bohemian SO to invent him
something sonorous. The latter had
turned to a Greek-English dictionary
and found these under the head of
soap" Peter was pleased, and so
was the Bohemian-witht the so and a
dozen cakes of the soap thrown in.
The soap itself was good. The aim Of
an expert soap-boiler is to reconcile
solidity of structure with large
volume of inclosed water Some of
them increase the weight of the COM
pound by the addition of extraneous
matter, but Peter was honest, and left
out the dirt. His sale of Kimolia was
great, and so was the profit.
Besides son. Peter had a fair
daughter, and, next to his soap factory
and his shekels, he loved her. And
Millicent-hcr mother, now dead and
gone, had picked up the name from an
English society noyel-was quite a
lovablc person. She was cookbook
ing. fairly educated, and put on a good
style. Through her school acquaint-
ance and her fathers money she went
into very respectable set, and. as she
| looked well. dressed well, and talked
well, had plenty of pocket money and
4 prospective portion of some size, and
a present tongue of her own, if needed,
they forcbore to turn up their noses at
soap. At first those who were poor
and proud-and proud poverty is fire.
quently Observation-Disclosures TO snub
her a little; but she gave snub for snub,
and then, leaning against the valuable
pile of soap bars. defied them.
Whether because of her manners or her
father money she had many mascu-
line admirers. Chief among these was
Myndert van Stopel. the great operator
in Wall street, whose huge
wrecks of railway and other cor
porations. He had met her at Long
Branch the summer before, and though,
to use his own words. that she had "a
leap of go in her.
Myndert, though he prided himself
on his noble Dutch ancestry-the first
Of his forefathcrs was Cornelis Pietersie,
vita no Van at all thought more of
Strengthening the bears in 1.-THE street.
And he had slaughtered them to some
purpose. He was 40 years old, short,
stout, and red-faced, with loud voice
and obtruSive manners-eyerythin but
the imaginary, shrewd-looking man of
affairs. He had begun as boy in a
broker office, rose to be a clerk. went
from there to the curbStOne. and then
to a seat in the exchange. and his
wealth was very far up in the millions.
He had been too busy to think of mar
riagc. but he had remarkable fast
horse. and why should he not buy a
wife? Millicent rather rcbufled his adj
vances, but he knew the value of money
and bided his time.
There was a rival in the field. Myn-
dert did not know it. though if he had
known he would have despised such a
competitor. This was Frank Moore.
the general manager employed by the
firm, who was highly valued because he
was faithful, trustworthy and knew all
about the work He had a good sal
airy and slight commission on the
sales of the Konia which he had invent
ed. Prudent. though not parsimoni-
Gus, Frank had managed TO save some
money, and had $50, 900 saved in bond
and mortgage, beside over $4,000 in
bank waiting for a good investment.
\ very good match he might hope to
make, but to think of marrying Milli-
cent. and handsome fortune, seemed
preposterOus.
Millicent did not think so. Frank,
who came aud went familiar visitor TO
the house and great Grony of Phillip,
had known her since she was n little
girl, and in this case. at least familiarity
did not breed contempt. The two had
a cry good understanding with one
another, and the senior Duke, for a
time was not well informed in the
premises But such things will leak
out, and at last the elder Duke heard of
it. He buhbled up ike the compound
in one of his kettles. and interviewed
his daughter on the matter.
..See here. Milly,' he said I'm not
angry; but / want you and Moore to
stop your philandering nonsense. You
ought to make better match. Moore
is a very nice young fellow, | own; I'd
find it hard to replace him in the
factory. But ! don't want him for a
son-in-law. You ought to look for
some one higher
Higher. papa. Do you want me to
be married by a son of Anak? Frank :
six foot and an inch
..Stuff! you know what l mean. Don't
talk that way to me- There Is Van
Stopel who is half crazy after you. Do
you mean to give up millions for
nQthing?"
Not quite nothing. papa. Frank
has over twenty-five thousand dollars. y
..Twenty-two thousand tiddlesticks.
Why. Van Stopel could settle hundred
thousand dollars on you for pin money
and never miss it. You must send
Moore about his business"
Millicent shook her head.
"Whati You wouldn't be married
without my CONSENT"
20. no, papa! | never will; but
when ! am married | intend 70 have
my own consent. / have to live with
the man. you Know, and you don't,
As for Van stopel-well, "A womanmay
not marry with her grandfather
Grandfather, What are you talking